Grand Me

Iranian cinema is known for being a delight to both the eye and the mind, and Atiye Zare Arandi’s documentary Grand Me about her niece Melina is no exception. Lively like its protagonist, the film is a masterfully told tale of an intelligent and cheerful girl in difficult circumstances. It is also a painful story about the way in which so-called adults are unable to understand their children and act like responsible parents.

When the story starts, 9-year-old Melina is the subject of a guardianship battle. Her father walked away when she was very young but has since made a claim to being her lawful guardian. For a long time, Melina lived with her mother. Then she remarried, and the new husband did not want Melina to live in the same household with his own children.

So, Melina moves to live with her grandparents, in a town far away from Tehran and her mother. She stays in touch with her mother and father with a mobile phone. She seldom meets either one; she misses her mother but would rather not see her father at all. Luckily, her grandparents are smart and caring and their house is a peaceful one. The movie’s director, Melina’s aunt, is another safe adult presence in her life.

In the present moment of the film, 11-year-old Melina and her mother have a heated conversation. Melina, mature beyond her years, questions her mother, who is torn between her own will and that of her husband’s: “I have self-respect. Where is your self-respect?”

Jaana Semeri (translated by Herman Tikkanen)